Essex County herald. [volume] (Guildhall, Vt.) 1873-1964, 1887-05-27
A DOMESTIC PROFILE NJ.
BY LUCY RANDALL COMFORT.


thing. There never could have been, A"
Roxy deliberately added, "even in the
Dark Ages, such an ignoramus as am.
don'teven know how to feed the chick
ems properly" as downy colony of little
''Dominiques" scattered this way and
that before the mass of scalded meal
which Roxy had flung too abruptly into
their midst, while the mother hen, sound
ing trumpet-note of shrill alarm, scut-
tied back against the picket-fence, with
tapping wings and feathers all a-bristle.
Roxy had been seventeen years old
when she came to live with her aunt Sally
Stephens on the Redbrook Farm. She
was bright-haired, fresh-complexioned
girl, with shady blue eyes, emphasized
by perfectly arched brows thought
heavier than falls to the usual lot of wo-
mankind. In certain fashion her mind
correspondcd to her eyebrows. There
was quaint vein of originality pervading
it. Her nature was strongly outlined too,
and in the fulnesS of her youth and vital
lty she had once believed that she was
born to conquer fate.
Roxanna Stephens was city-bred girl,
the daughter of Miss Sally's oldest brother,
who had died Unexpectedly, leaving
motherless girl totally unprovided for.
Miss Sally herself, complaining little
woman, with face full of fine wrinkles,
like China Grape, and blue eyes hidden
behind misty spcctaclcs, accepted the
trust, as she had accepted all other in
conveniences of her life, Imply and with
out protest. She had never had any
strong emotions one way or the other. If
she had any active pleasure, it was in
gathering the humble herbs and simples
of her native fields and drying them in
preparation for the aches and pains that
beset her poor humanity.
And to this little old brown woman in
a little old brown farmhouse came
Roxanna, the young princess who had set
forth to conquer the world.
''I'm desput glad you've come, Rox-
anna" said Miss Stephens, shifting at
bunch of wilted penny-royal. II amt
able to keep on doin' as hev been doin'.
Somehow its borne in upon me that
Providence has sent you. I've worked
powerful hard all my life, and now I'll
jest rest spell, and let you keep house for
me. hain't no doubt at all but what
We'll get along together frst-rate, you
and me-"
Roxy looked with solemn eyes at her
aunt. Evidently the old lady had faith
as grain of mustard-seed, and there was
something contagious in her example.
1T must be very easy to keep house,
said Roxy, fresh from the classroom and
recitation-hall So the household helm
was delivered into her hands, and then
not till then-she realized the fact of her
exceeding ignorance.
Not for worlds, however, would she
have confessed her inability to rule the
domestic menage. Aunt Sally had.
profound contempt for "book- -larnin, ,"
and did not hesitate to assert rouL dly
that 'ef brother Simon had took her ad-
vice he would hev brung up Roxanner in
quite different way" and the girl had
a certain silent pride in vindicating her
fathers Judgment. So, by the help of a
dog's-eared cookery book which she
found in the garret, she learned some of
the simple secrets of the cuisine, and her
own neat nature taught her the mysteries
OF sweeping and scrubbing; while old
Hinda, a jet black negress, with a soft
appealing voice like flute, who per-
vaded the neighborhood, came twice in
the month to wash and iron for the little
household.
And Roxy's spirits rose with her good
luck.
'I'm getting to be a house-keeper,
said she, cheerily, to herself. "Those
fried fish this morning tasted quite good,
and the wild plums that 1 preserved
yesterday are certainly going to be a sue
cess.n
But if it is always darkest just before
daylight, it is also sometimes brightest
before an unexpected thunder-cloud.
And one day old Hinda bethought her.
self to feel ill of Monday morning-of
rheumatic fever.
Roxy went to carry her little pail of
milk and stone crock of the wild plums,
for Kinda had a child-like fondness for
sweets.
"Hinda," she faltered, "can't you
wash for me this week9 Do try--there's
q good Hinda."
The old woman wriggled herself about
on her uneasy couch wringing her hands,
and rolling up the yellow-white of her
eyeballs in piteous fashion.
'Not dis var week, honey" she an
swered, plaintively; "not for de Queen
an all de royal chilluns. No; nor next
week, neider. Dom knows I'll eber
wash agin, honey" with mournful
croak in her voice.
''But Kinda, somebody must wash
Can't II"
"It amt no work for young lady,
Miss Roxy" said Hinda, derisively.
Everything is work for young lady,"
pleaded Roxy, "if it has got to be done. "
Hinda shook her head. "Yoll break
yo back, honey, an parboil yo' hands,
am"
"Oh, don't mind all that, Hinda, if
only Aunt would think the clothes looked
decent urged Roxy, "Tell me how to
do it, Hinda-ther darling"
"Well, honey, yo' put de clothes a-soak
de night afore," unwillingly began
Hinda, sin plenty o. bar soap sliced up
thin; an yo' bile 'em well, an you doan
forgit de bluein', an mind yo' doan git
de Starch too stiff, an be suah yo' rensh
de clothes right smart, an'-ohl oh! dar
goes de pain in my po' ole bones 9gin jes
all de world like crooked lightnin'."
So Roxy returned home not much
wiser than she went. '1'd give all my
algebra and geometry" sighed she, ''if
only knew how to wash"
Joy of ioysl as she went past Squire
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